Monthly Archives: January 2019

Longmont CO. is known as the origins for 2 of the larger craft brewers with Oskar Blues and Left Hand, but fast becoming a brewery that produces classic lager styles and is beginning to rival them is Wibby Brewing. The Brit received 4 bottles of a special Russian Imperial Lager, called 9-toed Nihilist, and guest hosts Chuck Fort from Church Street, and Ken McMullen from Hopvine were invited down to the Pub studios to taste them. We all wanted to know more about Wibby and these specific beers, so we arranged to call Founder/Owner and Head Brewer, Ryan Wibby to chat with him about his brews and brewery.

This episode was recorded over a phone line that didn’t exactly have the clarity we needed, but overall it worked out and this is a great insight into a brewery that should be on your list to visit next time you hit Colorado. Thanks to Ryan for his time, and for brewing one of the Landlord’s 2019 list of memorable beers!

Play the show from our player or the Podbean player below, iTunes, or your favorite podcast app…then leave us a 5-star review for a shout out on the next show!

This week, on a snowy night in Bloomingdale IL, The Brit finally sat down with Katie and Kris Wolf to chat about the journey they undertook to open one of the best new brewpubs in the Chicago suburbs. We say ‘finally’ as our first attempt had the couple head down to the Brit and Yankee pub studio back in October of last year, but alas ‘technical difficulties’ prevented the recording from ever being released! And here’s some pix from that session…

Since then, it has been a whirlwind of activity for both of them as they prepared for a late 2018 opening.

Now things have settled down, they said come on down and let’s chat. We set up the mics in the brewpub ‘snug’, and talked about the work that was needed to rehab a 150 year old house, and turn it into a great place to brew beer, and to serve that beer in a friendly, themed setting with plenty of ambiance.

We talked to Kris about his background and beers, and of course we sampled some of his current brews on tap. It’s a great insight into a great place to come and hang out, so if you haven’t been there yet, you need to stop by!

This is the first podcast of 2019, and we have a cavalcade of brewers and friends of the show, who were all at Skeleton Key Brewing for a cask real ale event. The Firkery crew comprises Hopvine brewer Ken McMullen, Ugly Trucking‘s Travis Beard, and craft beer nerd Kevin Herbst, and it is their mission to bring back cask ales, and they’ve got beer engines to distribute it from.

In this edition, we talk with some of the craft celebrities who were present, including my co-host and brewer at Church Street, Chuck Fort. And in order of appearance we have –

Chuck Fort, Church Street, Itasca – who tells us where to point your bung when casking real ale

Oliver Bulley, Dry City Brew Works, Wheaton – who has exciting news about the next Firkery event

John Karwoski, ex-tavern owner and friend of the show – who just likes to drink good beer

Bruce Dir, Tighthead Brewing, Mundelein – who has Boxcar Porter on tap tonight, and damn fine beer it is too

Dan Burr and Matt Molitor, Scallywag Brewing, Downers Grove – who give us an update on how their new brewery is coming along and when to look for an opening date

Don Hardy, breweriana collector and Big Guy for the Chicago Area Microbreweries FB group – who if you don’t join the group you should do, and if you don’t know Don you should. Thanks to him for supplying a few of the photos while The Brit was rushing around interviewing folks!

AJ, Miskatonic Brewing, Darien – who happened to horn in on our chat with Mark, but was able to tell us about their cask offering

Steve from Bradford – who is a regular at Skeleton Key, and am ex-pat Brit, so he should know real ale

John Schopa, Skeleton Key Brewing, Woodridge – who tells us about their cask offering, plus a collaboration release now probably all gone as you read/listen to this, but the backstory is interesting

Matt Lakota, 25 West Brewing, Bloomingdale – who provides an update on how they are doing and where they are going

And finally, the tables are turned on The Brit as the guys from Midwest Brew Review, interview him on the origin of the tap handles used for this Firkery event. They have a great video YouTube channel, so please head over and subscribe!